Richard DeVos Quotes

When you're put in a position to really affect young people who are going to run the world one day, if you're able to be in their life at a young age and make a positive impact, I think that's a beautiful thing.

Perhaps the most satisfying thing occurred when Michael Jordan became a team owner and said to me, 'I owe you a lot of apologies. It's a lot harder to run a team than I thought.'

I feel like my role is to be one of those voices who reaches the youth.

I always try to set a positive example for my generation and promote confidence.

I love working with young people which to me is a big kick.

I want to be a positive influence. I want to be someone who they want to call in and want here consistently, regardless of my role.

The only reason we make good role models is because you guys look up to athletes and we can influence you in positive ways. But the real role models should be your parents and teachers!

Young people in the business have grown up and made the wrong decisions, or bad decisions, and haven't been good role models. To be someone that people look up to is important to me.

I honestly do feel that I am a role model for young people.

There's nothing more special than talking in your community, and using your celebrity to uplift people and help them.

I have to tell you, I'm proudest of my life off the court. There will always be great basketball players who bounce that little round ball, but my proudest moments are affecting people's lives, effecting change, being a role model in the community.

Here, I have an opportunity to affect the lives of a lot of young people - and not just on my football team. I'm not kidding myself that that would be true at the professional level.

I love baseball. The game allowed me the influence to impact kids in a positive way. This gives me a chance to talk to some social issues.

Our young people look up to us. Let us not let them down. Our young people need us. Saving them will make heroes of us all.

I fell in love with coaching. I loved interacting with young people, having the opportunity to make a tremendous impression on them.

Mentorship is critical for young people. Mentorship by others for my children is very high on my agenda.

If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it because you can influence a person's life in a positive light, and that's what I want to do. That's what it's all about.

Doing and making positive programming for young people is so important to me, and I will keep doing it.

I think, overall, the NBA and its players are really conscious about our role and what we do as role models.

Basketball to me is more than a passion or a paycheck - it is the tool I use to try to have an impact in the world.

I've watched what coaches do for young people in our country.

I take it seriously that it's a privilege and honor to be a role model to young girls, both black and white. It's not something I take lightly.

You've got a bunch of kids out here that might not want to be athletes, but they want to learn how to make a difference in their community, and I'm trying to as best I can show an example of that.

The heavyweight champion of the world shouldn't just be heavyweight champion of the world. He should use his position to help other people, such as myself.

When you're in the National Football League, and you get this window where all eyes are on you, you can use that. You can use that platform for good.